The Bad Samaritans
by JoAnnB
Summary: Heyes and Curry join a group of cattle buyers in rescuing the inhabitants of a besieged stage coach, but all is not as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

**The Bad Samaritans **

**By JoAnn Baker**

Two tired riders made their way across the southern Arizona desert. The men let their horses pick their trail, avoiding cactus and snake holes.

On the horizon, a puff of smoke rose up over the mountains.

"That's the second one today. What do you think it means?" the blond rider asked, looking across at the mountains.

"Smoke signals," his partner answered grimly. "Looks like the Apache are on the warpath. I heard some men talking about it before we left town."

"I don't know why we had to ride out of there in the middle of the night. We could have waited for the stage."

"Kid, told you, the stage coach wasn't due until tomorrow and one of those card players kept lookin' at me funny. I'm sure he recognized me from somewhere and it was only a matter of time before he figured it out."

"Well, I'm not too sure we're any safer out here," Curry muttered, as stared at the smoke on the horizon. "Maybe we should try and ride up into those rocks and make camp there," he suggested, nodding toward a tall rock formation that rose up from the desert floor like a natural fortress. "Do you think there's a way up?"

"If there is, we'll find it," his partner replied confidently.

Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry had been in tight spots before, but dealing with the natives was not their strong suit.

The two former outlaws began to ascend the rocky cliffs, riding around the large boulders and looking for a promising route.

"Hey, look at that." Curry, pointed at fresh tracks in the sand. "You don't think some of them Apache are up there, do you?"

"No, those horses are shod," Heyes observed, as he rode closer to the tracks for a better look.

"Well, whoever they are, it doesn't look like they're too far ahead of us," Curry commented, his hand moving to rest on the revolver he wore on his hip.

The two rode higher into the cliffs. The trail was steep and rocky but the horses managed to keep their footing. As they rounded a large boulder, a dark haired man suddenly appeared and they found themselves looking into the business end of a revolver.

"Buenos dios amigos," the man said, in a menacing tone.

"Good afternoon," Heyes replied, unperturbed.

"What are you doing here?" The man with the gun demanded.

"We could ask you the same thing," Heyes responded calmly.

"The Indians, I saw their signals, I came here." The man was a Mexican, about the same age as Heyes; he held his gun level and narrowed his eyes. "Now, tell me what you are doing here?"

"Same as you," Heyes said evenly. "We were just looking for some safer ground and a place to camp for the night."

"Are you alone?" Heyes asked.

"Si, I like to be alone. So you two go, yes?"

Curry, who had remained silent during the exchange, looked around for signs of the other men. They had seen evidence of several horses on the trail. "Why don't the rest of you come out?" he called loudly.

Another man stepped from behind a rock and smiled pleasantly. "It's alright Parrado," he said, and then addressed the new arrivals. "Sorry mister, but with those Apache out there, we didn't want to take any chances."

"Do we look like Apaches?" Curry demanded. His hand still rested near his six-gun.

"Not up close, but from down there," the man shrugged and shook his head. "I'm Mason," he said, "Who are you?"

"My name's Joshua Smith, this here's my partner, Thaddeus Jones," Heyes said quickly. "As long as we're getting acquainted, why don't you ask your friends to join the party?" he added, looking around again.

Mason's smile turned into an amused grin and gave a short laugh. "Come on out boys," he called.

Three more men rose up from behind the rocks. All of the men held guns that they pointed at Heyes and the Kid.

"We sure would feel a lot more comfortable if you'd put that hardware away." Curry directed the request to Mason.

"Sure, you'll have to excuse us. I guess we're all just a little jumpy on account of those smoke signals."

Mason nodded to the others, and all five of the men holstered their guns.

"This here's Gus, and them two are Murphy and Jackson," Mason said, introducing the new men.

Heyes studied the men. Gus looked young, barely twenty, and he had an eager smile on his face. Murphy and Jackson were older, with hardened and rough expressions.

"You haven't told us what you're doing here?" Heyes asked, continuing to assess the group.

"Well, Parrado here, he owns a spread down in Mexico but he doesn't have any cattle. My friends and I are going to supply the cash and buy the stock and all go into business together."

"It's dangerous to travel through this part of the country, especially carrying a lot of money," Curry warned, observing the other men. "Except for the soldiers at Fort Bowie, most of the men that ride through here are either Indians or outlaws."

"That's true," Mason agreed. He looked questioningly at Heyes and the Kid.

"We're scouts for the army," Curry said quickly.

"That's right," Heyes added, flashing a smile through clenched teeth.

"Hey! There's another one!" Jackson interrupted with a shout.

Mason and his men turned and watched the large puff of smoke rise from the mountains on the horizon.

"Is that smoke too?" Gus asked, and pointed to a large cloud of near the base of the mountain.

"Army scouts?" Heyes whispered as he and Curry scrambled over some rocks to get a better view of the scene below.

"I heard a guy back in town mention he was an army scout," Curry said with a shrug.

"Well, I hope they don't expect us to 'scout' anything for 'em," Heyes mumbled.

"Stagecoach," Parrado called out.

"Looks like a lot more dust than a stagecoach would make," Heyes observed.

"I thought you said there wasn't a stage due until tomorrow?" Curry wrinkled his brow.

"Must be a private coach," Heyes said.

"Riders, a whole bunch of 'em," Gus shouted.

"Looks like them Apache are chasin' the stage," Curry said grimly.

"It don't look too good. Do you think we should give 'em a hand?" Gus asked.

Heyes and The Kid exchanged a glance. "If we don't, they won't have a chance," Heyes said with a frown.

"Mount up," Mason ordered. His men scattered to retrieve their horses as Heyes and Curry turned their mounts toward the besieged stagecoach.

Seven men raced down the hillside, firing shots toward the band of attacking Apaches. As they neared the stage, the Apache slowed and turned their attention toward the oncoming riders. After a brief exchange of firepower and arrows, the would-be raiders turned back toward the hills where they had come from.

"Looks like they gave up!" Gus exclaimed brightly.

"More like went for reinforcements," Curry said.

"I don't think they'll be back for a while," Mason said. "Let's see to the stage."

In the race to outrun the Apache, the stage had turned over and the driver had been thrown from his seat.

You all right?" Heyes asked, kneeling beside the driver.

Get the woman out," the man rasped.

"Woman?" Curry asked with a start. He quickly turned and climbed over the side of the overturned coach. Murphy and Jackson joined him and let themselves down into the coach. Curry reached down and helped the young woman climb out of the stage. Mason's men followed, hauling out a heavy metal box.

"Is there anyone else with you?" Heyes asked the driver, who was now sitting up and brushing himself off.

"A guard, but he took a bullet."

"Yep, he's dead. He was in there next to the woman," Murphy confirmed.

Curry escorted the shaken woman to a large rock and helped her sit down. Heyes was still looking at the large cut on the driver's head when a Mason's voice startled them.

"Mr. Jones, take off your hardware, you too Mr. Smith," Mason said coldly.

Heyes and Curry exchanged a glance, then slowly stood and unbuckled their gun belts.

_to be continued_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bad Samaritans **

**Chapter 2**

Mason stared down at the heavy metal box that his men had retrieved from the toppled coach. "Bust it open," he ordered.

Jackson fired a shot through the lock, and then reached down to break it free. "There it is!" he exclaimed, throwing open the lid to reveal a row of gold bars.

Mason and Parrado exchanged a grin. "Nice of you boys to help us out," Mason told Heyes and the Kid.

"Si, _very_ nice," Parrado added.

The two former outlaws exchanged a look of dismay.

"Uh, excuse me, If somebody would just give me a hand with that wheel, me and my passenger could be on our way," the driver said hesitantly.

"Nobody goes anywhere unless I tell 'em too," Mason said, and then with a wary look toward the hills where the Apache had retreated. "Everybody—back up on the rock," he ordered.

The group returned to the mountain fortress, taking the stagecoach driver and the young woman with them.

"We'll make camp here for the night, and then head out in the morning," Mason told the group, after they had reached a clearing and dismounted.

"What'll we do with them?" Murphy asked, nodding toward their unexpected guests.

The look in Mason's eyes told Heyes the Kid all they needed to know. Curry slowly walked toward the gang leader. "Look, you don't want to kill a woman. Leave us here and we'll see that she gets back to town safely."

Mason grinned. "Sorry Smith, I can't let you go to the law and send 'em after us."

"Jones," Curry corrected, and moved closer to Mason.

"I wouldn't try to make it through those passes in the dark, you'll end up lost and be sitting ducks for those Indians," Heyes said quickly.

Gus, who was standing behind Mason, looked up nervously. "What are we gonna do?" he asked the older man.

"We'll leave at first light," Mason said smoothly. "We'll take turns standing guard tonight."

Heyes and the Kid sat down with the stagecoach driver and his passenger, around a small fire that Gus had just built. "That'll keep you warm, ma'am," he told the frightened woman, and then returned to stand guard with the others.

"It'll be alright ma'am," Curry said pleasantly.

"Alright? I don't see how you can possibly say that!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry; my partner bought us a little time. He'll think of something."

"What's your name, ma'am?" Heyes asked. His voice was calm and soothing.

"Elizabeth Williams," she replied hesitantly.

"Well, Miss Williams, how is it that you happened to be travelling alone through Apache country?" Heyes asked.

"It's Mrs. Williams, and I was on my way to Fort Bowie to join my husband."

"Oh? Your husband is expecting you?" Heyes asked, showing interest.

"Yes, of course, I wrote to him and told him when I'd be arriving. Is there any way to get word to him that I'm safe?"

"No need, I figure he'll come looking," Heyes said quietly.

"What time were you due there, driver?" Curry asked.

"About an hour ago," the man answered.

"You two ain't being polite, talking all quiet like," Mason said, as he walked over to the group huddled around the campfire.

"We're just talking about the patrol that is going to come looking for that stagecoach. On second thought, maybe you should take off now. Before the patrol from the fort gets here."

"I thought you said it was too dangerous to travel at night?" Mason looked skeptical.

"Oh, well, not with a good guide," Heyes said coolly.

"A guide like you?" Mason asked.

"That's right," Heyes said. "My partner and I can get you through safely. We know every inch of those trails. If you leave the woman and driver here, we'll guide you through the mountains."

"Why would we leave them here?" Mason asked.

"Because they'd slow us down, and if her husband arrives and finds her body, he won't stop until he tracks you down, Mexican border or not. Now, if he finds her here all cold and hungry, he'll take her back to the fort and get reinforcements to chase after us. By the time they get on our trail, we'll be through the mountains."

Mason rubbed his chin and considered the proposition.

"It makes sense, Mason," Jackson urged. "I think we should take him up on it."

"They won't hunt us near as hard for robbery as they would for murder, especially…" Murphy trailed off with a look at Mrs. Williams.

The woman shrank back and glanced fearfully at Heyes.

"Alright, you'll take us through, but the way I figure it, we only need one guide," Mason said, turning his gaze to Curry.

Heyes' expression hardened and his voice took on a dangerous tone. "You hurt any of them and I won't guide you anywhere," he replied.

"We can let 'em go in Mexico," Gus suggested eagerly.

"You like Mexico _very_ much, signor," Parrado said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sure," Mason said after a few moments. "We'll let 'em go after they get us through the mountains. Mount up men. Let's get moving."

Heyes and the Kid exchanged a glance. Neither of them believed Mason's promise.

"Heyes, do you know the trail through to Mexico?" Curry asked quietly, after Mason walked away.

"Nope," Heyes replied casually and began walking toward his horse.

"Heyes, do you know _any_ trails through those mountains?" Curry asked again after he'd caught up with his partner.

"Nope, not a one, Kid," he replied. "I'll think of something before we get that far. Maybe that patrol will show up before we leave."

"The Indians might get to us first, you know." Curry said, irritation showing in his voice.

"Then we won't have to worry about the outlaws, Kid."

Curry let out an exasperated sigh and ignored his partner's remark. "Have you thought about what's going to happen when Mrs. Williams and the driver give our descriptions to the soldiers at Fort Bowie? Especially if you're right about one of them card players recognizing you?"

Heyes nodded slowly. "Yep, I've thought a lot about that. That's why I figure we're safer heading for Mexico."

Curry stared at his partner with a look of astonishment. "What? We go through everything we've gone through to go straight and now you just want to go to Mexico?"

"I didn't say I wanted to, I just said it might be safer," Heyes retorted.

"I think you'd better come up with a better plan, that's what I think," Curry muttered.

"Riders!" one of the men shouted and they all turned.

"Is it the Indians?" Elizabeth asked.

"Soldiers," Parrado replied.

"Well, looks like that patrol got here sooner than we expected. Get 'em in your sights, boys," Mason directed.

"No!" Elizabeth shouted quickly. "Please don't shoot."

"You know my terms." Heyes added. "No killing or we won't help you."

"What difference does it make?" Mason asked, as a scowl spread across his face.

"Well, after we ride out of here with you, some people may think we were in with you. We don't want to be wanted for murder."

Mason reluctantly agreed. "You," he said pointing to Elizabeth. "Call them up here and tell them everything's okay. If you try and warn them, or make any wrong moves, we'll shoot all of you."

The young woman nodded and made her way to the edge of the rocks. The patrol consisted of only three men. The soldiers were following the tracks and were already on the trail that led up into the rocks.

"John," the young woman called out. "I'm up here. I'm alright. You can all ride up."

"Beth!" the man in the lead shouted. He spurred his horse and hurried up the trail.

Heyes and the Kid stood with the driver, slightly behind Elizabeth. Mason and his men slipped behind the rocks and were out of sight.

"It's alright, John," Elizabeth said quickly, when the men cleared the ridge. "You can put your guns away."

The soldiers reined in their horses holstered their weapons. The man in the lead dismounted and hurried to embrace wife. After a few moments, he stepped back and looked suspiciously at the men behind her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Joshua Smith, lieutenant, and this is my partner, Thaddeus Jones," Heyes said politely.

"They call me Shorty," the driver said, extending his hand to the soldier.

Williams shook his hand cautiously and returned his attention to Heyes and the Kid.

"John, for goodness sakes, these men saved my life. You could at least thank them," Elizabeth said.

"I see, well then I'm much obliged to you," Williams replied, reaching to shake both men's hands.

"Hold it right there. Throw down your weapons," Mason ordered, as the other men stepped from behind the rocks and aimed their guns at the soldiers.

The lieutenant looked at his wife with a mixture of confusion and betrayal.

"Oh, John, I'm sorry, but I had to or they would have killed you."

William's face softened. "It's alright, Beth, I understand. Hand over your weapons, men." The soldiers did as they were told, and then dismounted slowly.

"Gracias, thank you very much," Parrado said with a grin as he scooped up the guns.

"Since we don't have to worry about a patrol from the Fort Bowie any more, let's get some rest and start for Mexico at first light," Mason told his men. "Jackson, Murphy, you two take the first watch. Gus, heat up some more of those beans."

"Are you two part of this?" Williams asked, giving Heyes and the Kid a sharp look.

"No, sir, we were just passing through and stopped to help the stagecoach. We had no idea that these men were going to—"

"Shut up," Mason said, cutting him off. "I thought you said you were scouts for the army. Don't you know each other?"

"Uh, we have a lot of new men, I must not have met these two yet," Williams replied.

Mason accepted the explanation and walked away.

"Okay, what are you really doing here?" Williams asked quietly. "I know every man and every scout at Fort Bowie."

"John," his wife scolded. "Those men would have killed us if Mr. Smith hadn't talked them out of it. He even convinced them to leave me here, unhurt, to wait for you while they rode away."

"I'm sorry, I guess I've just learned to be cautious in these parts," Williams apologized. "Why don't we all go sit down?"

Heyes and the Kid joined the two soldiers at the campfire.

"A real silver tongue, huh?" Williams commented to his wife as he watched the two men walk away.

Gus cooked beans and bacon over the campfire and brought a plate over for Elizabeth.

"It ain't much, ma'am," he said apologetically, "but it's all we've got. I sure do wish I could make you some biscuits to go with that."

"No thank you, I couldn't possibly…" she stopped when she saw the crestfallen look on the boy's face. "Oh, well maybe just a little." After a few bites, she looked up and smiled. "This is really very good. How did you learn to cook so well?"

"Oh, my ma taught me. After my pa left, it was just me and her, so I learned to everything around the farm."

"Well, I better see if anyone else is hungry." Gus went back to his campfire and ladled some beans into tin cups for the others.

Elizabeth looked at her husband sadly and shook her head. "I don't understand, John, how that nice young boy can be an outlaw."

"Well he is, Beth. He's riding with Mason and Parrado and they're two of the meanest desperados around."

"You know them?"

"I've never seen them before, but I've heard about them. They've been causing trouble on both sides of the border for years—cattle rustling and holdups mostly."

Elizabeth shuddered. "It's a cold night," she said quickly, not wanting her husband to know how frightened she was.

"Yes, it is," he said, wrapping his coat around her.

Heyes and Curry sat apart from the others and weighed their options.

"What do you think about trying to make a run for it in the dark?" Curry asked.

"Mason's men would hear the horses, we'd never make it."

"Yeah, I don't really like that idea either," Curry mused.

"I think we should ride out with Mason. I can keep on his good side long enough to buy us some time until we can get away," Heyes suggested.

"What about siding with the soldiers and overpowering them here in the rocks? You know that's what they're planning," Curry said, glancing over at the three men huddled not far away.

"Kid, I didn't want to worry you, but I think I've run into him before." Heyes admitted.

"Worry me? Oh, well that's mighty thoughtful of you, 'cause up 'til now I wasn't worried at all."

"Take it easy, I'll come up with something," Heyes said reassuringly.

"I just wish I had my gun," Curry said glumly.

"I wish you had your gun too," Heyes added quietly.

_To be continued_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bad Samaritans **

**Chapter 3**

The night passed and first light showed no change in their situation. The smoke signals continued intermittently, but there was no sign of any riders approaching the rock fortress.

"Time to move out, boys," Mason ordered.

The soldiers looked around uneasily. The men had said nothing, but they knew that it was unlikely that the outlaws would leave them alive. Heyes and Curry also waited anxiously. Mason had agreed to take them as guides, but they knew they couldn't bluff him for long.

Mason's men loaded the gold bars into their saddlebags, and they were getting the horses ready, when the first sign of trouble appeared.

"Hey, something's going on down there!" Gus shouted.

Mason pulled out binoculars and looked where Gus had pointed.

"Indians," he muttered. "Lots of 'em."

It wasn't long before they could all see them. What appeared to be fifty or more riders were racing toward the tall rocks where the group had taken refuge.

"What do we do?" Murphy asked, looking nervously at Mason.

"Take your positions, boys, we'll fight them off."

"Give us our guns," Curry said, standing and facing Mason. "You can't hold them off with just the five of you. But with ten, well positioned, we stand a chance."

"Eleven," Shorty said eagerly. "I can still fight. I fought in the war you know," he said proudly.

Mason looked around at the men and weighed his options.

"We don't have much time if we're going to spread out and get the best positions," Heyes warned.

Finally, Mason agreed and his men looked relieved. Guns and ammunition were passed around and each man hurried to find a position to defend.

"You don't need so many men down there," Curry told Mason. "Two good marksmen on the trail should be able to defend it. They can't scale the back face, so you should keep the rest of the men here on the front."

"Ok, who takes the trail?" Mason asked.

"I will," Curry said, moving forward.

"I'll go with you," Lieutenant Williams offered. "You two, stay here on the front side like he said," he told his men.

The Apache warriors surrounded the rock within minutes, and began their assault. At first riders sped up the trail, but were sent back by a barrage of bullets from Curry and Williams. Others found new routes up the face of the mountain. The men at the top were kept busy, moving from spot to spot, firing back, and forcing the attackers to regroup and attempt to gain access from different directions.

During one break in the attack, Curry sat down next to Lieutenant Williams. "We'll run out of bullets before they do," he said grimly.

"I know," Williams said, frowning and looking up at the others who were still firing on the other side.

"Maybe if we can force them off the trail and divert them around to the other side, a few riders could make it down the trail. The Apaches might not follow them if we can provide some cover."

Williams frowned and considered the idea. "It might work," he said slowly. "Who would ride out?"

"You could take Mrs. Williams and the driver. We might be able to hold them off long enough for you to get back to the fort and bring reinforcements."

Lieutenant Williams looked doubtful. "You'd never be able to hold them off that long."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I figure it's the only chance you have to get your wife out of here. I can cover the trail by myself."

"It's too risky, besides, there's no guarantee they wouldn't chase us down once we're out in the open."

"That's true, but we have to try something. Otherwise, this can only end one way."

Their conversation was cut off by more bullets from a new assault and both men took aim to fend off the attackers. Williams marveled at the other man's shooting. He was sure the Apache believed there were far more than two men opposing them.

The men on the front face were not faring as well. Jackson was injured, and the rest were running low on ammunition. Elizabeth watched as more and more of the Apache gained ground. Gus shouted a warning for her to stay back when she ventured out to see how close the Apache were. Bullets and arrows were all flying dangerously close. "You have to stay back ma'am, it's too dangerous out in the open."

"Yes, I can see that," she said, as an arrow flew over her head and bullets ricocheted off the rock close to her side.

"I'm sorry you ended up here, Mrs. Williams. I think if we hold them off until dark, they'll pull back and maybe we can make a run for it."

"It isn't even noon yet," Elizabeth said, looking up at the sky. Can you really hold them off?"

"We can try," Heyes replied, giving her an optimistic smile.

"Thank you. I know you are only up here because you came to my assistance yesterday. I'm sorry you ended up here too."

A cry of pain turned their attention to Gus, who clutched his side and then fell to the ground.

"Oh, no," Elizabeth gasped, and ran to the fallen man.

"Stay back," Heyes warned, dragging both of them behind cover of the rocks. "I'm sorry," he said, looking at the still body of the boy. "He didn't make it."

"Please be careful," she pleaded softly.

Heyes nodded and then returned to his rock overlooking the cliff. He resumed firing at the men attempting to overtake them, and the battle raged on.

Heyes was nearly out of ammunition when he caught sight of new activity in the distance. "Mason," he called. "Get out your binoculars. Are those more Indians?"

Mason squinted and stared. He looked through his binoculars and then spun around. "That ain't Indians—it's soldiers," he shouted excitedly.

The Apache raiders retreated from the mountain and regrouped below. The men on the rock watched to see if they would engage the arriving troops, or return to their base. Ultimately, they chose not to fight and headed back to the foothills on the other side of the valley. Half of the soldiers followed them, while the other half rode toward the mountain fortress.

"I ain't waitin' around for them," Mason proclaimed, and mounted his horse.

"Hey, I can't ride," Jackson complained, feebly.

"Sorry, amigo," Parrado said, as he pulled the other man's saddlebags off his horse and added them to his own.

"Hey, you can't do that! That's my share," Jackson struggled to reach his gun that lay just a few feet away.

Murphy kicked the gun out of reach and then mounted his own horse.

"Hurry up," Mason ordered, and took off down the trail. Parrado and Murphy followed.

Williams and Curry looked up in surprise as the three men raced past them. They hurried up the trail to see what had happened to the others.

"Your soldiers are on their way," Heyes explained, when the two men reached top.

"Keep him under guard," Williams ordered and one of his men immediately turned his weapon on Jackson. "We have to signal the others," he said, stepping out to the edge of the rocks. He called out to the patrol and signaled for them to come up.

Curry saw Gus' body and looked quickly at Heyes. "He caught a bullet," Heyes explained. The two men walked over and sat down next to the boy.

"Doesn't seem right, does it Heyes?" Curry asked, looking at the still body. "Out of all of them—this one gets it."

"No, Kid, it doesn't."

"I'll go get our horses, we should get out of here while we can," Heyes said quickly, and started to jog down the trail.

Curry nodded and then sat down to reload his gun while the soldiers busied themselves preparing to head back to the fort. He stiffened as Lieutenant Williams approached. The man was alone and walking purposefully toward him. He stood up and waited.

"That was some real trick shooting." Williams said, and whistled softly. "I don't know when I've seen shooting like that."

Curry's face showed no emotion as he responded. "I'm not going to play games with you, lieutenant. What are you going to do?"

Williams stood face to face with Curry, his face becoming equally serious.

"I'm going to take my wife home and see that she's alright. Then, I'm going to get a patrol together and go after Mason and his men. I've got no time to worry about anything else."

"Thank you," Curry said, nodding slightly.

"No, I think it's I that should be thanking you. Without you and your partner, my wife would probably be dead right now. However, after we capture those outlaws, and we will capture them, I might have enough time to start looking into other matters. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir, you do."

"Good."

"Lieutenant Williams turned and walked down the trail to see if their horses were ready.

Curry looked up to see his partner leading both of their horses.

"Well Kid, I think we lucked out. I don't think he recognized me." Heyes said softly, handing one set of reins to Curry.

"Uh, Heyes, there's something—"

"Later Kid, let's just get our horses saddled up and get out of here."

"Okay, but Heyes, that lieutenant—"

"I said later Kid; let's say our good bye and leave."

Heyes walked his horse down the last part of the trail, and then stopped in front of Lieutenant and Mrs. Williams.

"Ma'am, you take care now. We have to be going."

"Oh, but aren't you coming back to the fort with us? I know John can find some quarters for you and you could rest up a bit before you have to start riding again."

"Thank you, but no, we have to go."

"John, make them stay."

Heyes and the Kid exchanged a nervous glance.

"Now, Beth, if they say they have to go, then they have to go. I want to get you back home."

"Well, alright, but won't you please come visit us the next time you're in the area?"

"I don't know, we may not be in these parts again real soon, ma'am."

"Go on Beth, the men have a horse saddled for you."

"Alright, good bye then, and take care of yourselves."

"Thank you, we'll try ma'am."

Elizabeth smiled and then headed for the waiting horse.

"Well, thanks for everything lieutenant, but we have to be moving on now."

"Yes, I know," Williams said.

The two former outlaws mounted their horses and set off at a trot.

"Good bye Lieutenant," Heyes called over his shoulder.

"Good bye Mr. Heyes," Williams called after him.

"Heyes' face suddenly paled. Kid, what did he just call me?"

"Heyes, he called you Heyes. Keep riding."

"But…"

"Just keep riding Heyes. And the next time we see tracks leading up a mountain, just keep riding."

The End


End file.
